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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Dark Crimes (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
great many of us film aficionados have, at one time or another, thought that they’ve seen so many films from so many different genres or written by so many ‘messed up’ writers or directed by so many warped minds that have simply ‘walked off the map’ that nothing and I mean absolutely nothing could shock us. We think we’ve ‘seen everything’ or have been ‘prepared’ for anything shocking that filmmakers might throw our way. As today’s film for your consideration will demonstrate, even folks like ‘us’ can be caught off guard by the occasional ‘curve ball’ by a writer, director, or actor/actress we’ve become acquainted with through their work over the years. I can say this much before we go any further … I have never seen nor did I ever imagine seeing Jim Carrey in a film like this.
Today’s selection is a 2016 Polish-American dramatic-mystery film entitled ‘Dark Crimes’. The film is based upon an article published in ‘The New Yorker’ in 2008 entitled ‘True Crime:A Post-Modern Murder Mystery’ by David Grann about convicted Polish murderer, writer, and photographer Krystian Bala. Directed by Alexandros Avranas and written by Jeremey Brock, ‘Dark Crimes’ stars Jim Carrey, Marton Csokas, Agata Kulesza, Kati Outinen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Zbigniew Zamachowski. Jim Carrey is Detective Tadek. Formerly a highly decorated and respected detective, his recent work with the police department has been nothing more than administrative duties in the records department after a controversial case he was investigating involving an unsolved murder at a sex club was suddenly ‘shelved’ and he was relegated to his current desk job. A recent book by a controversial author Kozlow (Csokas), describes a murder almost identical to the unsolved murder of a businessman Tadek was investigating and even contains details that mirror many he discovered in his original investigation. After pleading with his immediate superior to allow him to continue examining the case, Tadek begins to delve deeper into the incident re-visiting the location of the murder and interviewing possible witnesses and others who may have been present or involved in the murder.
Soon Tadek’s determination overshadows everything else. He becomes paranoid and obsessed to such severity that he alienates his family and crosses lines professionally and personally as a sort of madness begins to take over. The moment he believes he has figured out the solution to the case that has become his obsession and cost him everything he has and the person he is, it all slips away as the truth about Kozlow’s involvement in the crime becomes clear and Tadek’s only remaining option is the one you don’t see coming.
This film is DARK and not for the faint of heart. The world knows Jim Carrey for comedy and that’s what he’ll ALWAYS be known for. This film metaphorically takes all that, throws it right out the window, then proceeds to run downstairs and then outside and stomp on it. Prepare to be shocked as this was Carrey like I’ve never seen him before. The film is dark, gritty, serious, and will tempt you to keep your finger on the ‘off button’ all the way through the film. In that regard, it is indeed a great film. It’s like a modern take on a classic well-written murder mystery novel where even in the end, the outcome is sometimes equal to if not worse than the actual crime itself. The world knows Marton Csokas for his villainous roles where he typically portrays Russian or Eastern European madmen and once again he does the same in this film with great flair. The film is rated R for strong and disturbing content and runs about an hour and a half so it’s most definitely NOT one for young folks. Which it late at night when it’s dark if you’re looking for something scary that will keep you awake all night. I’m going to give the film 3 out of 5 stars. It’s okay to see once but in all honesty, it’s nothing original that hasn’t been done in other films with other actors. This one is just a variation on a theme with deferent players and different aspects and details
Today’s selection is a 2016 Polish-American dramatic-mystery film entitled ‘Dark Crimes’. The film is based upon an article published in ‘The New Yorker’ in 2008 entitled ‘True Crime:A Post-Modern Murder Mystery’ by David Grann about convicted Polish murderer, writer, and photographer Krystian Bala. Directed by Alexandros Avranas and written by Jeremey Brock, ‘Dark Crimes’ stars Jim Carrey, Marton Csokas, Agata Kulesza, Kati Outinen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Zbigniew Zamachowski. Jim Carrey is Detective Tadek. Formerly a highly decorated and respected detective, his recent work with the police department has been nothing more than administrative duties in the records department after a controversial case he was investigating involving an unsolved murder at a sex club was suddenly ‘shelved’ and he was relegated to his current desk job. A recent book by a controversial author Kozlow (Csokas), describes a murder almost identical to the unsolved murder of a businessman Tadek was investigating and even contains details that mirror many he discovered in his original investigation. After pleading with his immediate superior to allow him to continue examining the case, Tadek begins to delve deeper into the incident re-visiting the location of the murder and interviewing possible witnesses and others who may have been present or involved in the murder.
Soon Tadek’s determination overshadows everything else. He becomes paranoid and obsessed to such severity that he alienates his family and crosses lines professionally and personally as a sort of madness begins to take over. The moment he believes he has figured out the solution to the case that has become his obsession and cost him everything he has and the person he is, it all slips away as the truth about Kozlow’s involvement in the crime becomes clear and Tadek’s only remaining option is the one you don’t see coming.
This film is DARK and not for the faint of heart. The world knows Jim Carrey for comedy and that’s what he’ll ALWAYS be known for. This film metaphorically takes all that, throws it right out the window, then proceeds to run downstairs and then outside and stomp on it. Prepare to be shocked as this was Carrey like I’ve never seen him before. The film is dark, gritty, serious, and will tempt you to keep your finger on the ‘off button’ all the way through the film. In that regard, it is indeed a great film. It’s like a modern take on a classic well-written murder mystery novel where even in the end, the outcome is sometimes equal to if not worse than the actual crime itself. The world knows Marton Csokas for his villainous roles where he typically portrays Russian or Eastern European madmen and once again he does the same in this film with great flair. The film is rated R for strong and disturbing content and runs about an hour and a half so it’s most definitely NOT one for young folks. Which it late at night when it’s dark if you’re looking for something scary that will keep you awake all night. I’m going to give the film 3 out of 5 stars. It’s okay to see once but in all honesty, it’s nothing original that hasn’t been done in other films with other actors. This one is just a variation on a theme with deferent players and different aspects and details
Darren (1599 KP) rated Dark Crimes (2018) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Dark Crimes starts when Tadek (Carrey) still investigating the murder of a police officer, gets a new lead when Kozlov (Csokas) writes a new book which has an eerily similarity to the murder, leading him to take a dangerous road investigating the murder, which includes challenge the former girlfriend Kasia (Gainsbourg).
The investigation has plenty of ties to the secret sex club known as the cage, where the men get to do whatever they want to the women, Tadek must put his professional and person life on the line to get to the bottom of this investigations.
Thoughts on Dark Crimes
Characters – Tadek is a police officer, he is preparing for retirement (I think) only he wants to solve one final case, which involves the murder of a fellow officer, he goes down dangerous paths which put his career on the line, his marriage on the line, hoping to find the answers. Kozlov is an author that has written a book that sounds too similar to the unsolved case, he becomes the target of the investigation because of his history with the known sex club. Kasia is a former worker in the club, she does have a connection to Kozlov and the victim.
Performances – Jim Carrey is an actor that I like seeing him doing serious roles, sadly, this is one of his worst performances in a long time, he can keep the accent up jumping around all over the place. Marton Csokas usually does well in film, but because the character isn’t very interesting, he struggles to keep our attention. Charlotte Gainsbourg disappoints too, she does everything we expect her to without making the impact.
Story – The story follows a detective that is investigating the murder of a fellow officer that could have found the confession inside a novel, which leads him to target the author in search for the truth. The problem here is we get slow moving conversations which don’t go anywhere, we don’t get into the evidence of the case, it just seems to be watching one man starting to go too far in his search. The case doesn’t seem long enough to make feature film story either.
Crime – The crime side of the film follows the investigation into the murder of a police officer which might be opened up again, it never feels urgent either.
Settings – The film uses the settings to show how the club could be easily accessed without needing to be too far away.
Scene of the Movie – Nothing.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dragging story.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the worst crime stories because it just never feels like the case is that important.
Overall: Just a drag.
The investigation has plenty of ties to the secret sex club known as the cage, where the men get to do whatever they want to the women, Tadek must put his professional and person life on the line to get to the bottom of this investigations.
Thoughts on Dark Crimes
Characters – Tadek is a police officer, he is preparing for retirement (I think) only he wants to solve one final case, which involves the murder of a fellow officer, he goes down dangerous paths which put his career on the line, his marriage on the line, hoping to find the answers. Kozlov is an author that has written a book that sounds too similar to the unsolved case, he becomes the target of the investigation because of his history with the known sex club. Kasia is a former worker in the club, she does have a connection to Kozlov and the victim.
Performances – Jim Carrey is an actor that I like seeing him doing serious roles, sadly, this is one of his worst performances in a long time, he can keep the accent up jumping around all over the place. Marton Csokas usually does well in film, but because the character isn’t very interesting, he struggles to keep our attention. Charlotte Gainsbourg disappoints too, she does everything we expect her to without making the impact.
Story – The story follows a detective that is investigating the murder of a fellow officer that could have found the confession inside a novel, which leads him to target the author in search for the truth. The problem here is we get slow moving conversations which don’t go anywhere, we don’t get into the evidence of the case, it just seems to be watching one man starting to go too far in his search. The case doesn’t seem long enough to make feature film story either.
Crime – The crime side of the film follows the investigation into the murder of a police officer which might be opened up again, it never feels urgent either.
Settings – The film uses the settings to show how the club could be easily accessed without needing to be too far away.
Scene of the Movie – Nothing.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The dragging story.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the worst crime stories because it just never feels like the case is that important.
Overall: Just a drag.
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Loving (2016) in Movies
Sep 29, 2021
Hidden Vigour: Negga excels in another glimpse into America’s racist past.
A few weeks ago when I reviewed “Hidden Figures” I pointed out the how absurd the racist behaviour at NASA in the 60’s must have appeared to a young boy in the audience at my screening. In many ways, “Loving” – a film that has had a lot less publicity and is a less obvious ‘crowd-pleaser’ – makes a useful companion piece to that film.
It tells the true story (yes, yet ANOTHER ‘true story’!) of Richard and Mildred Loving who travelled from their home town of Central Point Virginia to Washington DC where – as a mixed race couple – they could legally get married.
However, on returning to their home state and living together as man and wife, they fell foul of the State’s repulsive antimiscegenation statute which banned inter-racial marriages. The Lovings were found guilty and sentenced to a year in jail, which was suspended on the requirement that – unbelievable but true – the couple leave Virginia and not return (together) for 25 years. The film documents the fight of the couple – largely led by the feisty Mildred (Ruth Negga) – to fight the injustice, taking the case ultimately to the US Supreme Court for an historic ruling.
This was an Oscar-nominated performance by Ruth Negga and, man, is it deserved. It’s a performance of such quiet understated power that it is a joy to watch. But also strong is that of Joel Edgerton (“Midnight Special“, “The Great Gatsby“) as Richard who here adopts a largely sulky and subservient manner that contrasts beautifully with Negga’s perky optimism.
I also loved the performance of Marton Csokas (Celeborn from “The Lord of the Rings”), chillingly unreasonable as the bigoted Sheriff Brooks and Michael Shannon (“Nocturnal Animals“, “Midnight Special“) as the Time photographer Grey Villet, capturing a classic picture that is shown (in standard ‘true story’ fashion) at the end of the film (and below).
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, whose “Midnight Special” last year made my top 10 of the year, this is a thoughtful and educational piece that should particularly appeal to older viewers keen to see a drama of historical importance beautifully told.
It tells the true story (yes, yet ANOTHER ‘true story’!) of Richard and Mildred Loving who travelled from their home town of Central Point Virginia to Washington DC where – as a mixed race couple – they could legally get married.
However, on returning to their home state and living together as man and wife, they fell foul of the State’s repulsive antimiscegenation statute which banned inter-racial marriages. The Lovings were found guilty and sentenced to a year in jail, which was suspended on the requirement that – unbelievable but true – the couple leave Virginia and not return (together) for 25 years. The film documents the fight of the couple – largely led by the feisty Mildred (Ruth Negga) – to fight the injustice, taking the case ultimately to the US Supreme Court for an historic ruling.
This was an Oscar-nominated performance by Ruth Negga and, man, is it deserved. It’s a performance of such quiet understated power that it is a joy to watch. But also strong is that of Joel Edgerton (“Midnight Special“, “The Great Gatsby“) as Richard who here adopts a largely sulky and subservient manner that contrasts beautifully with Negga’s perky optimism.
I also loved the performance of Marton Csokas (Celeborn from “The Lord of the Rings”), chillingly unreasonable as the bigoted Sheriff Brooks and Michael Shannon (“Nocturnal Animals“, “Midnight Special“) as the Time photographer Grey Villet, capturing a classic picture that is shown (in standard ‘true story’ fashion) at the end of the film (and below).
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, whose “Midnight Special” last year made my top 10 of the year, this is a thoughtful and educational piece that should particularly appeal to older viewers keen to see a drama of historical importance beautifully told.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Voice from the Stone (2017) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Characters – Verena is a nurse, she is an expert in helping children with problems, her latest job takes her to Tuscany to help a young boy who hasn’t spoken since the passing of his mother. She doesn’t believe in any of the afterlife but must now learn to accept it in this latest case. Klaus is the father of the boy, he an artist and grieving in his own way, hoping to get his son to talk once more. Malvina is the mother that has passed away, she hasn’t remained away though communicating with Jakob through the wall, holding him back, she must get pushed into the afterlife for the family to move on.
Performances – Emilia Clarke is the biggest selling point of this movie, having one of the most beautiful women in the world, one of the most famous television characters, here she does get to show her serious side, but never reaches the levels we know she could. Marton Csokas is one of the good performers in the European mysterious men roles, here he is no different showing us why he is always picked.
Story – The story here does get caught up in two minds, the first is just a young nurse trying to help a sick child get over the grieving process, this should be a good enough story, but we get thrown into a mystery about why his deceased mother is talking to him through a stone, while this does have a kicker of a twist and never reaches the true levels of mystery to make us satisfied with how it ended or how we got there either.
Mystery – The mystery does fall flat by the end of the film, because we get part of an answer but not the complete answer.
Settings – The film does have beautiful settings outside of the house, we get to see moments of stunning scenery from the Tuscany location.
Scene of the Movie – Pose for me?
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending doesn’t seem to make sense.
Final Thoughts – This is a slow moving mystery thriller that does make you want to see where things go, but in the end things don’t click to make sense to where it should all be.
Overall: Mystery that lacks the punch.
Performances – Emilia Clarke is the biggest selling point of this movie, having one of the most beautiful women in the world, one of the most famous television characters, here she does get to show her serious side, but never reaches the levels we know she could. Marton Csokas is one of the good performers in the European mysterious men roles, here he is no different showing us why he is always picked.
Story – The story here does get caught up in two minds, the first is just a young nurse trying to help a sick child get over the grieving process, this should be a good enough story, but we get thrown into a mystery about why his deceased mother is talking to him through a stone, while this does have a kicker of a twist and never reaches the true levels of mystery to make us satisfied with how it ended or how we got there either.
Mystery – The mystery does fall flat by the end of the film, because we get part of an answer but not the complete answer.
Settings – The film does have beautiful settings outside of the house, we get to see moments of stunning scenery from the Tuscany location.
Scene of the Movie – Pose for me?
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The ending doesn’t seem to make sense.
Final Thoughts – This is a slow moving mystery thriller that does make you want to see where things go, but in the end things don’t click to make sense to where it should all be.
Overall: Mystery that lacks the punch.
JT (287 KP) rated Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Of all the absurd film titles this has to be right up there. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a film that you can tune into and lose yourself with – nothing more than that.
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) the film initially focuses on the early life of one Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) whose mother is killed at the hands of a vampire.
Fueled by revenge he goes out and tries to avenge her death, unsuccessfully at first. He is then taken under the wing of Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper) who shows him the proper ways to fight back, in a training montage that makes Rocky’s wood chopping skills look pathetic.
Sturges leaves Lincoln to go off on his own but sends him the names of undead that he has to go out and kill on a regular basis, while trying to hide his nocturnal hobby from those closest to him. First thing to note with this film is many of the techniques that made Wanted a unique action flick are used considerably throughout, a bit too much for me.
CGI in film should be used sparingly as far as I’m concerned, but when faced with a scene where there is no feasible way you could shoot for real then it’s a perfect solution. When Lincoln is giving chase to Jack Barts (Marton Csokas) across a stampede of wild horses it provides a great action sequence for which CGI comes into its own.
In-fact pretty much all the action sequences use this, and with the climactic train sequence proving a highlight to the end of the film it’s not anywhere near enough to make it a standout, you can only hide behind special effects for so long before you’re going to get found out.
There is a pause in proceedings, a chance to catch breath from all that over the top action, as Lincoln puts down his silver coated axe and follows a career in politics looking to abolish slavery as well as vampires. His lifelong friend Will Johnson (Anthony Mackie) also joins him on this quest as his personal Presidential aide.
Of course it turns out that vampires are unable to kill their own as we see from a brief flash back where Dominic Cooper is mindlessly attacked and his beloved taken from him, so he clearly has a motive as well.
It’s all harmless fun, and while the late Abe Lincoln provides some small resemblance to Liam Neeson with a beard (was it only me that thought that) it’s a far fetched and totally ludicrous story that you cannot take too seriously for a minute.
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) the film initially focuses on the early life of one Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) whose mother is killed at the hands of a vampire.
Fueled by revenge he goes out and tries to avenge her death, unsuccessfully at first. He is then taken under the wing of Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper) who shows him the proper ways to fight back, in a training montage that makes Rocky’s wood chopping skills look pathetic.
Sturges leaves Lincoln to go off on his own but sends him the names of undead that he has to go out and kill on a regular basis, while trying to hide his nocturnal hobby from those closest to him. First thing to note with this film is many of the techniques that made Wanted a unique action flick are used considerably throughout, a bit too much for me.
CGI in film should be used sparingly as far as I’m concerned, but when faced with a scene where there is no feasible way you could shoot for real then it’s a perfect solution. When Lincoln is giving chase to Jack Barts (Marton Csokas) across a stampede of wild horses it provides a great action sequence for which CGI comes into its own.
In-fact pretty much all the action sequences use this, and with the climactic train sequence proving a highlight to the end of the film it’s not anywhere near enough to make it a standout, you can only hide behind special effects for so long before you’re going to get found out.
There is a pause in proceedings, a chance to catch breath from all that over the top action, as Lincoln puts down his silver coated axe and follows a career in politics looking to abolish slavery as well as vampires. His lifelong friend Will Johnson (Anthony Mackie) also joins him on this quest as his personal Presidential aide.
Of course it turns out that vampires are unable to kill their own as we see from a brief flash back where Dominic Cooper is mindlessly attacked and his beloved taken from him, so he clearly has a motive as well.
It’s all harmless fun, and while the late Abe Lincoln provides some small resemblance to Liam Neeson with a beard (was it only me that thought that) it’s a far fetched and totally ludicrous story that you cannot take too seriously for a minute.
Darren (1599 KP) rated Aeon Flux (2005) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: We get a future world where humans have been nearly wiped out by a virus, good start. We have information about a dictator who has taken over because he had the cure of the virus and making sure his family stays in charge, Aeon is hired to kill him so a change can happen, but the first of many twists stops this. We have two people that both sides in a potential war want dead but these two hold the secret that could save mankind forever. We have seen it all before and in the future world we struggle to see a truly original idea, the twists save this from being plain boring but with very little use of supporting characters we don’t get much here. (6/10)
Actor Review
Charlize Theron: Aeon Flux deadly assassin who is assigned to kill Trevor Goodchild, but when she has a past connection with him she helps him uncover a truth that can change the future forever. Solid performance trying to make something out of a little known source material. (7/10)
aeon
Marton Csokas: Trevor Goodchild leader of the people who has cured the remaining people of a deadly virus but he is still working to uncover a truth that could save the peoples real future. Good performance in the supporting scientist role. (7/10)
trvor
Johnny Lee Miller: Oren Goodchild brother of Trevor who has always supported him but when the future could change he plans to take over and keep things running as before. Good villainous role wanting to make sure he can live forever. (7/10)
ohnny
Director Review: Karyn Kusama – Creates a basic entertaining film that never really challenges the audience. (5/10)
Action: Plenty of action but most is the same each time. (7/10)
Sci-Fi: Interesting look at the future after a virus that looks at many different parts of it including improving surviving. (7/10)
Settings: We are in one city for the whole film but it really doesn’t get used as well as it should have been. (6/10)
Special Effects: Basic special effects used in Aeon Flux with most of it being upgraded technology. (7/10)
Suggestion: I think this could be tried, it isn’t as good as it could be but can be entertaining at times. (Try It)
Best Part: Aeon entering a poisonous garden.
Worst Part: Been here seen that.
Action Scene Of The Film: Final battle
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $52 Million
Budget: $62 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
Tagline: The future is flux.
Overall: Fun but not original action
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/11/16/aeon-flux-2005/
Actor Review
Charlize Theron: Aeon Flux deadly assassin who is assigned to kill Trevor Goodchild, but when she has a past connection with him she helps him uncover a truth that can change the future forever. Solid performance trying to make something out of a little known source material. (7/10)
aeon
Marton Csokas: Trevor Goodchild leader of the people who has cured the remaining people of a deadly virus but he is still working to uncover a truth that could save the peoples real future. Good performance in the supporting scientist role. (7/10)
trvor
Johnny Lee Miller: Oren Goodchild brother of Trevor who has always supported him but when the future could change he plans to take over and keep things running as before. Good villainous role wanting to make sure he can live forever. (7/10)
ohnny
Director Review: Karyn Kusama – Creates a basic entertaining film that never really challenges the audience. (5/10)
Action: Plenty of action but most is the same each time. (7/10)
Sci-Fi: Interesting look at the future after a virus that looks at many different parts of it including improving surviving. (7/10)
Settings: We are in one city for the whole film but it really doesn’t get used as well as it should have been. (6/10)
Special Effects: Basic special effects used in Aeon Flux with most of it being upgraded technology. (7/10)
Suggestion: I think this could be tried, it isn’t as good as it could be but can be entertaining at times. (Try It)
Best Part: Aeon entering a poisonous garden.
Worst Part: Been here seen that.
Action Scene Of The Film: Final battle
Believability: No (0/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $52 Million
Budget: $62 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 33 Minutes
Tagline: The future is flux.
Overall: Fun but not original action
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/11/16/aeon-flux-2005/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Equalizer (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
I’m not going to waste ANY time getting started with this one. No, you’re not daydreaming. Denzel Washington has teamed-up again with director Antoine Fuqua and once again, they’ve created another outstanding masterpiece of a movie. In fact, the film has seen such postive reviews so far that there’s already talk of a sequal and even a possible franchise. After seeing the film myself, I would not be surprised in the least if
these rumors were true. A sequel would certainly be one worth the wait.
Based on the T.V. show of the same name which ran from 1985 to 1989 and starred Edward Woodward, the movie adaption of “The Equalizer” stars Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace
Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Haley Bennett, Melissa Leo, and Bill Pullman.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Replacement Killers), “The Equalizer” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6th and is set for it’s
U.S. premiere on Friday the 26th.
Denzel Washington portrays McCall, a man who has recently settled down to begin a new life quietly putting his mysterious past behind him. By day, he manages a large hardware store.
His nights are spent in quiet solitude with the exception of his visits to the 24-hour diner for tea down the street from his home where he befriends Teri (Moretz), an aspiring singer forced to work as a callgirl for a group of violent Russian mobsters based in Boston.
One night Teri goes missing and McCall learns that she was severly beaten by her pimp. Unable to sit by and watch the life of his friend ruined and perhaps ended, McCall emerges from his self-imposed retirement and armed with his ‘deadly skillset’ sets out to seek revenge anyone who preys upon the weak and finds his desire for justice reawakened.
“Are The Odds Against You? Need Help? Call The Equalizer”
I’m going to call this one right now: 4 out of 5 stars. Honestly, I really couldn’t find anything about the film I DIDN’T like. Sometimes the film slowed down, then it was like a switch was hit and it speed right back up but it was always good.
When the film did move to a slow pace, it was only to give ‘insight’ into the mindset of the McCall character. Particularly in the beginning when you’re learning about him.
It’s almost immediately inferred that he’s trying put his mysterious past behind him and settle into his new, quiet life. When McCall’s friend Teri is placed in jeopordy though, it’s like listening to the engine of a race car being started and primed. You know trouble is about to go down and McCall is going to be the one who ‘deals’ with that trouble.
The film is violent. Definitely too violent for the kids. It does deliver though. A “do unto others” film, if you will. Denzel depicts the ultimate interpretation of the phrase ‘What goes around, comes around” and does it with style.
these rumors were true. A sequel would certainly be one worth the wait.
Based on the T.V. show of the same name which ran from 1985 to 1989 and starred Edward Woodward, the movie adaption of “The Equalizer” stars Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace
Moretz, Marton Csokas, David Harbour, Haley Bennett, Melissa Leo, and Bill Pullman.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Replacement Killers), “The Equalizer” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6th and is set for it’s
U.S. premiere on Friday the 26th.
Denzel Washington portrays McCall, a man who has recently settled down to begin a new life quietly putting his mysterious past behind him. By day, he manages a large hardware store.
His nights are spent in quiet solitude with the exception of his visits to the 24-hour diner for tea down the street from his home where he befriends Teri (Moretz), an aspiring singer forced to work as a callgirl for a group of violent Russian mobsters based in Boston.
One night Teri goes missing and McCall learns that she was severly beaten by her pimp. Unable to sit by and watch the life of his friend ruined and perhaps ended, McCall emerges from his self-imposed retirement and armed with his ‘deadly skillset’ sets out to seek revenge anyone who preys upon the weak and finds his desire for justice reawakened.
“Are The Odds Against You? Need Help? Call The Equalizer”
I’m going to call this one right now: 4 out of 5 stars. Honestly, I really couldn’t find anything about the film I DIDN’T like. Sometimes the film slowed down, then it was like a switch was hit and it speed right back up but it was always good.
When the film did move to a slow pace, it was only to give ‘insight’ into the mindset of the McCall character. Particularly in the beginning when you’re learning about him.
It’s almost immediately inferred that he’s trying put his mysterious past behind him and settle into his new, quiet life. When McCall’s friend Teri is placed in jeopordy though, it’s like listening to the engine of a race car being started and primed. You know trouble is about to go down and McCall is going to be the one who ‘deals’ with that trouble.
The film is violent. Definitely too violent for the kids. It does deliver though. A “do unto others” film, if you will. Denzel depicts the ultimate interpretation of the phrase ‘What goes around, comes around” and does it with style.